Sussing my scope out....and TLAO

[Ronseal]

Having so many opportunities to look at my scope indoors while the clouds look down on me, I thought a bit of tweaking was in order.

My 6x30 finder scope was really annoying me as it moved about, so a bit of masking tape round the end and I can adjust it & it stays put - simples

As per a previous thread I used AstroBaby's collimation guide to collimate, nice

I ordered Turn Left at Orion and last night after I returned from a meeting was out at 11.30pm in CLEAR SKIES !! but bright moon.

So I positioned myself with the house behind me hiding the moon and looking NE, I split Polaris & Mizar, but struggled finding the whirlpool galaxy - maybe too bright GGrrrr.

I tried experimenting with finding stuff in the scope. A rough alignment by eye, then looking through the finderscope whilst looking at the star with the other eye it was really simple to bring the two to a point and hey presto I'm on the star!

I still think a telrad maybe of use as it gives a reference for distances with the red circles, I seem to be struggling finding DSO's.

Chris

[nicnac]

are you using the likes of stellarium? just to get the local area?

some of those DSOs are very faint and hard to spot

[JAO]

Chris, the moon will be limiting what you can see. M51 the Whirlpool is one of those objects that is easily washed out by moonlight. Give it a go again when there is less or no moon. Stick with it though and those DSOs will start to pop out. Also a Telrad really helps place the scope i the right bit of the sky in my view so might be worth a go.

[pvaz]

When the moon is out stick with the moon it self, planets, open and globular star clusters and double stars.

Galaxies and Nebula are very hard with moonlight or light pollution.

[Ronseal]

Thanks guys, I though the moon was restricting my seeing.

I might just get a telrad when stocks arive in a couple of weeks, they do look big though.

[mdstuart]

Yes the moon makes a masive difference. You will not believe how much better you can see DSO's when there is no moon...so perhaps go for double stars and clusters such as M35 and then go for M51 when it is pitch black and you ahve been out for 30 mins etc...

Mark

[swamp thing]

I might just get a telrad when stocks arive in a couple of weeks, they do look big though.

Hi

They are quite big but very light so i wouldn't worry about balance.

Steve